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The Halfway House
Review
About
Located just outside Chorley The Newley refurbished Halfway House can be found 2 miles from the botany bay exit from the motorway. The Newley refurbished pub is welcoming and friendly, you can sit and relax inside by the fire or out in the large garden. Bar food is available along with a selection of beers, spirits and cocktails. Our large restaurant deliveries high quality service and home comfort dishes which cater for a wide variety of tastes. We also have the ability to cater for large parties. Entrance is free to listen to the music/entertainment that we put on, on Fridays and Saturdays. Or you could join us for the Wednesday night quiz.
Features
CUISINES
Bar, British
Meal types
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours, Drinks
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
Buffet
Dog Friendly
Free off-street parking
Free Wifi
Full Bar
Highchairs Available
Live Music
Mastercard
Outdoor Seating
Parking Available
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Television
Visa
Wheelchair Accessible
Wine and Beer
Location
Free off-street parking, Parking Available
Does this restaurant allow dogs or considered pet friendly?
Save this restaurant
Hours
Opens in 36 min
Sunday
12:00 - 22:00
Monday
12:00 - 23:00
Tuesday
12:00 - 23:00
Wednesday
12:00 - 23:00
Thursday
12:00 - 23:00
Friday
12:00 - 0:00
Saturday
12:00 - 0:00
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3.7
(795)
Excellent
319
Good
191
Average
127
Poor
75
Terrible
83
pauline s
43 contributions
Nov 2024 • friends
Having been during the week I expected the same standard for Sunday lunch. Disappointingly Sunday lunch was only average. The meat appeared to be pre packaged rather than sliced from a recently cooked joint.. going large should have included pigs in blankets... regrettably there was only one!. Overall nothing to write home about.
Written 10 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rawsy
Chorley209 contributions
Oct 2024 • couples
This restaurant is on our doorstep and we have visited many times over the last 20 years. Over the years it’s been a hit (Dante’s at the Halfway house when it first opened) and more recently misses and looking very tired and quiet.
So it was with in trepidation and the recent TA reviews that were positive that we decided to visit on a Thursday evening.
As per the J W Lees website the pub is family run and has offers every night. Something I think is essential to get customers back and visiting. We had x2 burgers and chose x2 Malbec wine as the free drinks. The lamb burger was very tasty and the fries piping hot and nicely cooked. The Mrs has the chicken burger and it was just as good. Whilst trying to be good I talked myself out of the tower burger. Maybe next time.
The wine was so good we got a bottle ordered and it went down a treat. La Trochita. Try it.
We also spoke with the manager I believe who was very friendly and is trying to turn the place around. Well I can firmly say the food was great and the drinks delicious. I ended up having 2 pints of the Lees ale The Boiler house gold rush. My god what a decent drop that is!
My one gripe was that the staff ended up not removing the free wine from the bill. We realised when back home but a visit back there and it was refunded. So cannot complain.
Overall I would say give it another try if you are in the area. They are trying to make it great again. And have my vote.
Written 26 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stella Gibbs
Hi Rawsy
Thank you so much for giving us another chance! We’re thrilled you enjoyed the burgers, Malbec, and especially The Boiler House Gold Rush ale. It’s great to know that our efforts to refresh the pub are being noticed.
Our apologies for the billing mix-up, but we’re glad we could make it right. We’re grateful for loyal guests like you and can’t wait to welcome you back for that tower burger next time!
Warm regards
Stella HWH
Written 2 November 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Joanne H
Chorley617 contributions
Apr 2023 • friends
The menu has changed yet again - the third one in the few weeks since it reopened as Tutto. Couldn’t decide what to have as we’d expected tapas and the range of tapas dishes had been dramatically reduced. So we went for pizza….. Had to cut the crusts off they were so overdone and we ended up leaving some of it as just not appetising. Also I wasn’t impressed with the attitude of the waitress. I wasn’t happy with the table she gave us and despite the restaurant being very quiet, she said the table I wanted was reserved - hardly anyone in the place!! Needless to say we won’t be visiting again any time soon
Written 25 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elinor S
2 contributions
Dec 2024 • friends
If you are looking for a venue to meet friends for a Christmas meal give this one a miss. If you have no taste buds and like a huge plate of carvery style food, then this might be the place for you. The duck and Cointreau pate was totally tasteless and was served with the soggiest apology for toast, which I suspect had been lying around for some time. The main course of turkey arrived on a large, oval plate which was piled high. The turkey breast was tender and delicious. However we had to ask for some cranberry sauce to accompany it. The large Yorkshire pudding was cold, unseasoned and chewy. The roast potatoes were over cooked and like leather. Buried at the bottom of the pile was some mashed potato which was palatable, but took a while to discover. All the vegetables were over cooked and unseasoned. There was a large slice of bland stuffing and a small chipolata wrapped in soft, fatty bacon. Overall it appeared that everything had been preprepared and reheated before serving as opposed to being freshly cooked. Had the restaurant been busy, there may have been some excuse for this during the Christmas season. However there were only two other small tables of diners during the whole evening. Needless to say, when my plate was cleared away it went back to the kitchen with a large pile of all that was inedible!
Written 6 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stella Gibbs
Hi elinor
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re very sorry to hear that your recent visit didn’t meet your expectations.
We take great pride in the quality of our food and service, so it’s disappointing to hear your experience wasn’t up to our usual standards. Had we been made aware of your concerns on the day, we would have done everything possible to address them immediately and ensure you left satisfied.
During this festive season, we’ve been delighted to host multiple Christmas bookings and have received positive feedback from our guests, which makes your comments especially surprising. That said, we truly appreciate your feedback, and your concerns about the pate, turkey, and accompanying dishes will be shared with our team to ensure we maintain the highest quality.
We would love the opportunity to welcome you back for a better experience in the future. If you’d like to discuss your visit further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch directly. In the meantime, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Best regards,
Stella HWH
Written 6 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tracy S
1 contribution
Jan 2025 • couples
Great bar area and lovely members of staff but food was extremely disappointing.
Visited on Saturday night with my husband. Ordered a cheese garlic bread for starter. This was undercooked and tasteless. The main of Half chicken consisted of 2 x chicken legs, dry mash, overcooked rubbery roast potatoes, average carrots, broccoli and 2 Brussel sprouts!! We informed the staff that we were unwilling to pay for our uneaten meals and they agreed.
Such a shame as it was a regular for us a few years ago. Certainly won’t be returning any time soon. 😥
Written 26 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stella Gibbs
Thank you for your feedback, and we’re sorry to hear about your disappointment. To clarify, the half roast chicken is served as a breast and a leg, not two legs, and it’s one of our most popular dishes, enjoyed by many.
Regarding the garlic bread, it’s worth noting that no concerns were raised at the time of serving, only after the meal. Additionally, while we aim to resolve any issues with fairness, it wouldn’t be accurate to say we agreed – you informed us you wouldn’t be paying, leaving little room for discussion.
We’re truly sorry your experience didn’t meet your expectations, and we’ll review your comments with the team.
Written 26 January 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
managercers
49 contributions
Dec 2024 • family
Very Average i am afraid the place is very nice but lacks atmosphere. The children’s menu has pasta as a main on Childrens menu two children wanted pasta, the waitress came back to table after ordering and said they had no pasta ( not good enough) so they decided on pizza one was burnt, not a good start hair in cheese pie yuk told the waitress she just apologised but didn’t nothing to remedy it. Gammon main course gammon perfect hooray ,fried egg hard like mine runny how hard is it to fry an egg? I am afraid will not be back not the cheapest meals but very basic food. There is a lot to learn on hospitality to make this place a success.
Written 22 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tomfromwigan
2 contributions
Feb 2024 • none
Thoroughly enjoyed our Christening celebration. The manager gave us the large function room, free of charge, next to the car park, and let us set the room up to suit our needs. The room was plenty large enough for 70 people.
I did not manage to provide pre orders for food prior to the day. Instead they were very accommoding, taking a variety of different orders on the day, and the wait on food was around 50mins, which was good considering the large volume of orders at once.
Will definitely be returning for future events.
Written 28 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joanne H
Chorley617 contributions
Mar 2024 • couples
Called for breakfast as hadn’t tried it before and was pleasantly surprised. Our dog was also made very welcome and he sat well behaved under the table. The deal was 2 full English breakfasts and a tea or americano for £17.95 and there was certainly a plateful. Really enjoyed it but I would ask that you get bigger eggs - ours were tiny. Small niggle but otherwise very nice and will visit again
Written 26 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zooton
Manchester12 contributions
Aug 2024 • couples
Went on a Sunday for a roast dinner and ordered roast beef.
It arrived quite quickly but wasn’t hot and the vegetables were overcooked, the gravy was tasteless. No one asked if we were enjoying our meal. Will not be returning
Written 26 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stella Gibbs
hello Zooton
I apologise you did not enjoy your Sunday dinner yesterday, would like to hear more about your visit if this is okay as this is not the usual standard we hold ourselves too
if you can email me at halfwayhouse@jwlees.co.uk to talk more about your meal I would appreciate it
we hope to see you again at the halfway soon
kind regards
stella HWH
Written 26 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Andre D
17 contributions
May 2023 • solo
Stayed at the Travelodge next door and wandered in to see what food they did, expecting the usual 'next to a Travelodge' type of pub. Wow! How wrong was I and what a meal I had! Fillet steak (Rossini style) was a real treat, followed by biscott cheesecake. Ok, so not cheap but great looking pizzas were served up to other diners which were very reasonably priced. The restaurant is modern in design, and staff were professional, being both discrete and attentive. Am very impressed and have been telling friends already to visit if ever passing.
Written 7 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard Butterworth
1 contribution
Aug 2022 • none
We (group of five adults) have been to The Halfway House several times for lunch in recent months and regularly there have been several menu items unavailable, this time no less than six dishes missing from the main course list. The constant excuse is that “the delivery has not arrived”, this might be valid once or twice but not to the degree we have experienced.
What dishes that are available are well prepared, the wait staff pleasant and service prompt but local management telling us that “sorry, I cannot do anything about it” is very annoying. The restaurant has frequent “discount” offers but if the advertised product is not available there is little point in visiting.
Written 25 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liz F
Fulwood33 contributions
Aug 2022 • friends
Very disappointed with lunch today unfortunately. The menu seems to have changed and seems much reduced from our last visit which was excellent, the menu says at the top ask about our specials……but when we asked we were told that there weren’t any specials available! The menu themselves were printed on paper but were certainly not new.
Service was slow and the food we ordered, when it eventually arrived was very disappointing; my Halfway House burger was over cooked and over salted and the burger brioche was burnt. My friend had the steak salad which was supposed to be served with chilli, garlic, goats cheese and passion fruit purée but none of those flavours could be identified and the steak itself looked like a poor quality piece of frying or stewing steak! The Thai red curry with chicken was the best dish we were served and was fairly nice. The childrens menu chicken nuggets were, to quote the chicken nugget mad eight year old, very chewy.
When paying the bill I mentioned the above complaints and the very nice girl who served us…….and it seems everyone else and the bar, apologised and said that they have two new chefs on who are still being trained and that they were very busy with two tables of 9 in the restaurant………(plus my party of four , two couples and a party of three in the bar).
I am sorry, but having worked in the hospitality industry myself, I find it hard to believe that 29 customers in a business of about 100 covers is busy! We were given a discount on our bill for the same amount as the ongoing local leaflet offer, no more!
Very disappointing birthday lunch for my Goddaughter, such a shame as previously we have had excellent service and faire.
Written 2 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kirsty Ö
3 contributions
Oct 2023 • family
We were a table of 8 this Friday Eve for my daughters birthday, the service was terrible from the the start ordered drinks took forever to arrive.. waiting staff have zero knowledge about that lagers they have on draught and even what what kind of kids drinks they have.
Ordered 3 garlic breads one came out and then 20 minutes later the other 2 finally arrived, mains just ok… I brought a cake for my daughter I think it took about half an hour to arrive, I noticed the person in charge was no where to be seen and always around the bar area.. I did express my concerns but didn’t seem to interested, overall not impressed and would not return we have always given the halfway house another try after new managements but never made me want to return I’m afraid.
Written 28 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emma M
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • friends
Lovely looking pub with nice decor, fires lit and friendly staff. The seabass was really quite delicious. however... the young man that served us was woefully undertrained... took three visits to the table about our drinks order (a coke and coke zero, nothing complicated), brought out one of our mains half way through the starters then the other came once the starters and half the main were finished but no plates cleared (we could also hear the staff and chef disputing who's fault it was, bickering and blaming). we asked what the baked yorkshire pudding was like on the puds menu and the young server made up some rubbish about it being strawberries and sauce (completely different to what was on the menu). He stood eerily close to the table staring at us multiple points during the mains until we looked across and he asked if the food was ok, then came across three times with the bill - first with the print out, then to ask cash or card, then to ask if were splitting it, then with the machine then took it away and came back in-between transactions. JESUS!! I dont think we were alone to talk for 5 mins throughout our whole visit. The supervisor I don't think had full grasp of his inadequacies as she wrote down both their names and asked for a trip advisor review - so here it is. I won't name and shame, J and O know who they are. Train up the poor lad.
Written 7 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stella Gibbs
hello
thankyou for your review.
we have had a lot of new staff recently as we have just reopened as jw lees halfway house.
they are getting trained so i hope your can have patience as it is a slow process training a whole new team :)
hope to see you again soon
kind regards
Stella
Written 16 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
pbrown4751
Chorley1 contribution
Nov 2023 • none
Undercooked chips, onion rings with a the thinnest onion inside and a garlic bread that was just undercooked dough with shredded garlic sprinkled on the top. Even the waitress commented how poor the garlic bread was and removed it from our bill without the need to ask. Service was the only positive here.
Written 13 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stella Gibbs
Hello,
thankyou for your review, I have responded to your first review earlier this week.
- I am sorry to hear you did not enjoy your time here at the halfway house,
I would like to talk to you more about your visit, can I give you a call?
please email me your number and a convenient time to contact you to,
halfwayhouse@jwlees.co.uk
kind regards
stella
Written 16 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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